International Hockey Federation (FIH) yesterday announced the schedule of the Mens Junior Hockey World Cup, which would take place at Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar, the State capital of Odisha from 24 November to 5 December 2021. This will be the 12th edition of the tournament.
However, doubts still loomed over the staging of FIH Odisha Hockey Mens Junior World Cup Bhubaneswar 2021 as the Odisha Sports & Youth Services Minister Tusharkanti Behera today told Odishatv.in that tournament may be postponed due to the prevailing Covid-19 pandemic.
“We have no option but to postpone the tournament as some countries are reluctant to participate in the tournament as scheduled for the pandemic,” the website quoted the Minister as saying.
However, the fate of the tournament took another welcome turn later in the day as Union Ministry of Health & Family Welfare granted exemption from home quarantine to players and support staff of all foreign teams, responding to the request of the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports. But the Health & Family Welfare Ministry has issued the following SOPs for the foreign teams:
* It shall be ensured that pre-arrival RT-PCR COVID-19 test for all participants is conducted within 72 hours of departure. Participants arriving from Europe and Middle East would be tested on arrival in India. They shall give their samples and exit the airport.
* All participants will self-monitor their health for 14 days after arrival in India and if they develop any symptoms suggestive of COVID-19, they will isolate themselves and report the same to the event organizers/nearest COVID heath facility/National or State helpline.
* All participants should minimize public interaction and follow COVID-appropriate behaviour (wear mask, maintain physical distancing, maintain respiratory and hand hygiene) throughout their visit.
* Department of Sports will monitor the participants and in case any participants develops any symptoms suggestive of COVID-19 during their stay in India would be tested by RT-PCR and if found positive, the participant would be isolated and managed, and the contacts quarantined.
As per the announcement of the FIH, Mens Junior World Cup would feature 16 teams. They are: host and defending champions India, Argentina, Belgium, Canada, Chile, Egypt, France, Germany, Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan, Poland, South Africa, Spain, The Netherlands and United States.
According to the schedule, teams will play league matches in four groups and the top two teams from each pool will advance to the quarterfinals. The quarterfinals will be played on December 1, semifinals on December 3 and final on December 5.
Defending champion India has been placed in Pool B along with Canada, France and Poland in Pool B for the men`s Junior World Cup hockey tournament to be played at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar from November 24.
Host India will begin its campaign against France at 7.30 pm. on the opening day before meeting Canada (November 25) and Poland (November 27) in its subsequent pool engagements. India won the title when it hosted the last edition of the event in Lucknow in 2016.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PHOTO: Aerial view of the Kalinga Stadium, Bhubaneswar, the venue of the upcoming FIH Mens Junior Hockey World Cup.